Derbyshire Probate Jurisdictions

England Derbyshire Derbyshire Probate Records

Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term probate refers to a collection of documents, including wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories, and act books.

Before 1858, every town and parish in Derbyshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary ecclesiastical court and one or more secondary ecclesiastical courts. Most of the county was under the primary jurisdiction of the Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory) and the secondary jurisdiction of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, which also was the highest court in the country. However there were some exceptions.

Here is a list of the parishes of Derbyshire that were exceptions to the above, with the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them. Search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. For indexes, click on a court name or return to Derbyshire Probate Records.

If no will is found, your ancestor may not have left one.

PARISH	PRIMARY COURT	SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER
Appleby	Court of the Archdeaconry of Leicester	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashford	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Bakewell	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Baslow	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Beeley	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Biggin	Court of the Peculiar of Hartington	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Breaston	Court of the Peculiar of Sawley	2 - Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield
Burton upon Trent Holy Trinity	Court of the Peculiar of Burton upon Trent	2 - Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)
Buxton	Court of the Peculiar of Hartington; Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Chapel en le Frith	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Chelmorton	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Earl Sterndale	Court of the Peculiar of Hartington	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Hartington	Court of the Peculiar of Hartington	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Hope	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Kniveton	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Longstone	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Monyash	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Peak Forest	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield; Court of the Peculiar of Peak Forest	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield Court of the Peculiar of Peak Forest 2 - Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield
Risley	Court of the Peculiar of Sawley	2 - Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield
Sawley	Court of the Peculiar of Sawley	2 - Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield
Sheldon	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Stapenhill	Court of the Peculiar of Burton upon Trent	2 - Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)
Taddington	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Tideswell	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Wilne with Draycott	Court of the Peculiar of Sawley	2 - Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield
Winster	Court of the Peculiar of Hartington	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Wormhill	Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
All other parishes	Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury